GED Social Studies Online Training

1. According to this viewpoint, why is Japan less likely to have problems with careless fire­starters than is the United States?

2. Which activity is an example of competition within a group?

3. -- ExhibitC­





According to the Juvenile Curfew Act, which of the following should anyone under the age of 17 with a nighttime job be sure to do?

4. In 1947, the United Nations (UN) tried to resolve the conflict over land between Arabs and Jews living in the former British mandate of Palestine. The UN recommended that Palestine be partitioned into two states―Arab and Jewish―and that the city of Jerusalem become a UN trusteeship. The majority of people living in Palestine were Arabs, and Arab leaders in Palestine rejected the plan. Jewish leaders accepted the plan and proclaimed the state of Israel within their part of Palestine. Almost immediately, war broke out between seven Arab nations and Israel.

Based on the information above, which was the main reason for the 1948 war in the Middle East?

5. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects a person’s right to write letters to the editor of a newspaper suggesting governmental reforms?

✑ Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press”

✑ Amendment “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated”

✑ Amendment “No person shall...be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself”

✑ Amendment 6: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial”

✑ Amendment 8: “Excessive bail shall not be required”

6. Nationalism is defined as devotion to one’s nation.It can encourage positive civic participation for a more productive society.If carried to the extreme, however, it can cause widespread and violent international conflicts.

Which of the following illustrates extreme nationalism in the twentieth century?

7. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

Which statement expresses one of Andrew Carnegie’s main points?

8. -- Exhibit -­

In 1889, Jane Addams, a social reformer in Chicago, Illinois, founded a settlement house called Hull House, which provided child care, kindergarten, libraries, playgrounds, vocational and domestic training, and food services to poor city residents. It also sent visiting nurses to help care for the sick in Chicago’s crowded neighborhoods.

At Hull House, young mothers practiced ways to care for their children―including the daily infant bath, which is illustrated in the photograph above. English-language classes, civic rights classes, and art classes were also offered. The settlement houses provided important services to the poor at a time when government and many churches did not provide them.

Many of the people who worked at the settlement houses also worked to outlaw sweatshop working conditions, to promote organized labor, and to secure workers’ compensation laws.

Adapted from Winthrop D. Jordan, Miriam Greenblatt, and John S. Bowes, The Americans: A History (Evanston, Ill.: McDougal, Littell & Company, 1994), 497.

-- Exhibit C

­Based on the information, which attitude did Jane Addams most likely have about her clients at Hull House?

9. -- Exhibit -­

This letter was written by a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society.

To Mr. T. D. Weld Dear Sir:

"You have been appointed an agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society. . . . Our object is the overthrow of American slavery. We expect to accomplish this, mainly by showing to the public its true character . . . its denial of the first principles of religion, morals, and humanity. . . .

"You will teach everywhere, the great fundamental principle of IMMEDIATE ABOLITION, as the duty of all masters. . . . Insist principally on the SIN OF SLAVERY, because our main hope is in the consciences of men.

"The people of color ought at once to be emancipated and recognized as citizens, and their rights secured, equal in all respects to others, according to the fundamental principle laid down in the American Declaration of Independence."

Letters of Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina Grimke Weld, and Sarah Grimke, Volume I (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1934), 124C28.





-- Exhibit -

Based on the map, residents of which area of the country would have most strongly

protested the ideas expressed in the letter?

10. Exhibit:





Which conclusion about the extent of UN forces between 1945 and 2001 is best supported by the map?

11. Throughout history, neighboring countries have been likely to go to war against each other.Two neighboring rival powers, therefore, have often created a small country as a "buffer state" to separate the countries and to prevent war.

Which would be the most likely characteristic of a country that serves as a buffer state?

12. Although food is relatively cheap in the United States, Americans pay a high price―with many hidden costs. A person can find American raspberries on sale in Britain at cheaper prices than those charged for British-grown raspberries. Some retailers prefer suppliers who can provide a year-round flow of produce, rather than switch to local raspberry producers who can only supply berries during one season.

Furthermore, because fuel costs are relatively low, big supermarkets can get a better deal from countries where wages are low. Thus, for a few cents of savings at the supermarket, local rural economies are weakened.

Based on this information, which statement describes a hidden effect of the sale of foreign-grown food on a local economy?

13. You will be able to use an Information button to view the material on each question screen.

This 1868 lithograph shows an idealized scene presenting farmers and settlers from the East, along with railroads, moving into lands already occupied by Native Americans.





-- Exhibit -­This 1868 lithograph shows an idealized scene presenting farmers and settlers from the East, along with railroads, moving into lands already occupied by Native Americans.

-- Exhibit -­

Why did many people in the United States move to California in 1849?

14. President Johnson acknowledged a public leader’s need and desire to say the right words at the right time to the public.

How could television reporting cause television viewers to misunderstand a president’s speech?

15. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

Which conclusion about life in the United States in 1898 is best supported by the photograph?

16. Budget deficits force U.S. and Canadian leaders to make hard choices.In each country, a large portion of the budget pays interest on the national debt.With remaining tax dollars, national lawmakers must decide how much money to spend on programs such as defense, health care, education, transportation, and environmental cleanup. Each of those programs has its own strong supporters.

Based on the information above, if legislators wished to get re-elected, which of the following should they do?

17. Which statement describes the effect of family life on society?

18. Exhibit:





Which statement about consumer prices between 1991 and 1997 is verified by the chart?

19. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

What does information in the map imply about the relationship between religion and government in the illustrated region of the world?

20. Which of the following developments would Speaker A most likely support?

21. In 1950, the Soviet Union and China supported North Korea in the war against South Korea.





This support implies that North Korea had which type of government at the time?

22. “The Great Society asks not how much, but how good; not only how to create wealth, but how to use it; not only how fast we are going, but where we are headed.It proposes as the first test for a nation: the quality of its people.”

Lyndon B. Johnson

State of the Union address, 1965

Based on the quotation above, which question would President Johnson have been most likely to ask about a proposed program?

23. “In many impoverished [poor] countries, a well-developed tourism industry could serve as a magnet for international opportunities, generate precious foreign exchange, and create stable employment opportunities.”

Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations, 2000

Which unstated belief might have led Secretary General Kofi Annan to make the statement above?

24. -- Exhibit -­

This letter was written by a member of the American Anti-Slavery Society.

To Mr. T. D. Weld Dear Sir:

"You have been appointed an agent of the American Anti-Slavery Society. . . . Our object is the overthrow of American slavery. We expect to accomplish this, mainly by showing to the public its true character . . . its denial of the first principles of religion, morals, and humanity. . . .

"You will teach everywhere, the great fundamental principle of IMMEDIATE ABOLITION, as the duty of all masters. . . . Insist principally on the SIN OF SLAVERY, because our main hope is in the consciences of men.

"The people of color ought at once to be emancipated and recognized as citizens, and their rights secured, equal in all respects to others, according to the fundamental principle laid down in the American Declaration of Independence."

Letters of Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina Grimke Weld, and Sarah Grimke, Volume I (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1934), 124C28.





-- Exhibit -­

The writer of the letter assumed which of the following statements was true?

25. -- ExhibitC­





The map shows life expectancy ages for several countries.

Where are some of the nations with the highest life expectancy ages located?

26. Exhibit:





Which fundamental political principle supports the use of visas in international travel?

27. Exhibit:





Which statement about European Union trade in 2000 is supported by the graph?

28. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

Which statement about U.S. trading practices in 1998 is directly supported by information in the charts at the left?

29. A presidential candidate was born and raised in New England. Because support was also needed from other areas in the United States, the vice presidential candidate was chosen from a large Midwestern state.





In the example above, which vice presidential qualification did the presidential candidate hope would help win the election?

30. Between 1941 and 1945, the Japanese military controlled parts of Southeast Asia, and German armies controlled parts of North Africa.Furthermore, submarine warfare made all overseas trade difficult.





How did these conditions directly affect people in the United States at the time?

31. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

According to the map above, which of the following U.S. regions was the most densely populated in 2000?

32. Based on the graph at the left, for which product did consumers most increase their spending between 1960 and 2000?

33. A global trade company in 1995 would need to be informed daily about the exchange rate(s) for which of the following currency(ies) on the chart above?

34. Which is the most likely reason for the UN’s interest in the economic issues of its member countries?

35. “The central government has become too great an influence on our lives.We must create an economic climate that encourages private growth and resists the extension of federal power.”

From the statement above, what can we conclude that the speaker would favor?

36. Which statement summarizes why people are not able to prevent famines?

37. How does the Toyota system differ from the classic Ford manufacturing process?

38. According to the graph at the left, how did consumers in the Netherlands compare with consumers from other countries?

39. Exhibit:





To which serious global consequence did this incident in 1962 threaten to lead?

40. Which statement best summarizes the work of the United Nations in recent years?

41. According to the article, what is a major reason people use technology to change the environment?

42. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended listing northern spotted owls as a threatened species.Fewer than 2000 spotted owls lived in the timber-rich forests of the Pacific Northwest.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists said that poor timber harvest management by the U.S. Forest Service was a chief cause for habitat loss and declining numbers of these owls.

Which is the main reason the northern spotted owl was listed as a threatened species?

43. -- Exhibit -­

At the end of the Civil War, at a time period called Reconstruction, the U.S. government planned to rebuild and re-establish the states that had been a part of the Confederacy. Supporting the former slaves as free citizens (freedmen) was one important goal of the federal government. Radical Republicans, mostly Northerners, pushed for federal legislation that granted the vote to freedmen. Gradually, by the 1880s, however, many states enforced policies that restricted the freedmen’s right to vote. In that instance, Reconstruction has been evaluated as a failure.









-- Exhibit -­

Which statement best describes the significance of the picture shown on the Harper’s Weekly cover on November 16, 1867?

44. -- ExhibitC­





Which conditions in the East most likely helped cause the changes throughout the U.S. transportation systems shown on the maps?

45. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­Which event started the “space race”?

46. Mechanization dramatically changed the clothing industry in the late 1800s.Powerful machines that were able to slice through a hundred layers of cloth at a time brought the speed of cutting clothes in line with the sewing operation.Completely automatic looms meant that one weaver could produce 400 yards of fabric in an hour.Improved cylinder presses could print from two to twelve colors at the same time.As calico florals rolled off the cylinders, one of the most expensive fabrics of the 1700s became one of the cheapest in the 1800s.

Adapted from American Heritage, December 1988, Vol. 39, 42.

The article supports which statement about the relationship of mechanization and the work world?

47. -- ExhibitC­





A long-term reduction in world market prices for crude oil beginning in 1986 would have most likely depressed the economy in which U.S. region?

48. Exhibit:





Which statement about the quality of life in England in 1840 explains the above statistics?

49.



Why is information about levels of hydrocarbons, CO, and CO2 most likely required in the inspection report?

50. -- ExhibitC­





Which statement about the history of space technology and exploration between 1920 and 1998 is supported by information on the time line?

51. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

Which statement of opinion supports continued funding for projects such as those on the time line in the 1980s and 1990s?

52. Voice of America (VOA) is a U.S. government tradio broadcast whose goal is to "promote better understanding of the United States in other countries." VOA promises accurate and fair broadcasts that present news and information from many points of view and about many subjects.

Which of the following newspaper articles would most closely reflect the promise of the VOA policy?

53. "When the power of making laws and the power of executing them are united in the same person. . . there can be no liberty."

Montesquieu

Spirit of the Laws, 1750

Based on the quotation by Montesquieu, which feature of the U.S. government illustrates a solution to the stated situation?

54. Based on the tone and content of his speech, what most likely was the political role that Pericles held in Athens?

55. Exhibit: Based on the charts, which belief best reflects the changes in American living patterns between 1940 and 1960?

56. These excerpts are taken from which of the following documents?

57. Exhibit:





According to this information, which of the following is an example of an ecological disaster?

58. The United States and Canada are multicultural societies.In 1995, French and English were official languages in Canada, and the government financed second-language instruction in elementary and high schools.In response to immigration in the early 1990s, the U.S. government funded bilingual programs whose main goal was to enable all U.S. citizens to read and write English.

Which relationship between language and national policy reflects the programs supported in the United States and Canada in the early 1990s?

59. Which statement is a standard explanation in support of a property tax?

60. Exhibit:





If legislators wish to increase voter registration in their state or province, which kind of bill should they introduce?

61. A business is composed of different departments that have specific functions to fulfill.The personnel department manages relations between management and employees, marketing is concerned with selling the products in the market, and production oversees manufacturing of those products.

Which unit would be responsible for advertising a product in a newspaper or on television?

62. -- ExhibitC­





Many accomplished geographers, scientists, and mathematicians worked under the rule of the Islamic caliphs (leaders).

According to the information on the map, what practical use did the Muslim rulers make of the technical knowledge and skills described above?

63. "Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others.We do not copy our neighbors, but are an example to them.It is true that we are called a democracy, for government is in the hands of the many and not of the few.But while the law secures equal justice to all . . . the claim of excellence is also recognized; and when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is elected to public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward for merit.Neither is poverty a bar, but a man may benefit his country whatever may be the obscurity of his condition."

Pericles in Athens, a Greek city-state, in 400 B.C.

Based on the above excerpt, which would Pericles think best qualified a person to be elected to public service?

64. Exhibit: According to the information, the Canadian government is legally committed to which of the following?

65. According to the viewpoint, what would be the best way for a city to decrease its fire death rate?

66. Exhibit:





Which action can the government take to change the situation illustrated in the cartoon?

67. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

In 1493, Pope Alexander VI settled land disputes between Spain and Portugal by creating the Line of Demarcation on the map of the world.

How did this land settlement affect Spain?

68. Exhibit:





If leaders of Asian countries wanted to increase and sustain trade revenue from the sale of ginkgo, which action would most likely help them accomplish this goal?

69. Exhibit:





Which situation does Jefferson’s letter indicate he feared most?

70. Exhibit:





What purpose do passports serve for ordinary travelers in a foreign country?

71. Exhibit:





Which was a major cause of the event reported in the newspaper at the left?

72. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -­

Which conclusion about nomadic shepherd communities is best supported by the photograph and the passage?

73. -- ExhibitC





-- Exhibit -

Based on the map at the left, which statement about average spending on elementary and secondary students is most accurate?

74. The U.S. Supreme Court’s desegregation ruling in 1962 supports which idea in U.S. history?

75. "Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

Richard Henry Lee, 1776

Which of the following statements reflects Lee’s proposal to the Continental Congress in 1776?

76. Exhibit:





Which development will most likely occur in the United States if the trends in the graphs at the left continue?

77. In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution became law.Section 1 reads:

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Which event occurred in the United States as a result of the 13th Amendment?

78. In the early 1940s, a team of Harvard graduate students and IBM engineers built Mark I, the first electromechanical computer; its use expanded from government to business, and, in the 1990s, to the home. Computers have made it possible to gather, store, and distribute information faster than ever before in history.

Which occurrence is a possible harmful side effect of this trend in information management?

79. In 1963, President Johnson secured approval from Congress to begin his War on Poverty, which allocated $1 billion to the Office of Economic Opportunity to increase employment programs. President Johnson supported the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination on the basis of color, race, religion, gender, or national origin in public accommodations and employment. After election to a term as president, he introduced Medicare, which provided a two-part plan that insured all Americans over 65 against expensive hospital bills and provided inexpensive insurance for those covered by Social Security.

Exhibit:





Based on the information and timeline, which change most likely resulted from legislation passed during the Johnson presidency?

80. Exhibit: Why did President Roosevelt address the nation immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941?